


Mirror Image

by Ciaossu



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Auron reflects on his sad dead life, Gen, Mentions of the rest of the FFX cast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 22:58:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17068784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ciaossu/pseuds/Ciaossu
Summary: It was safe to say that Auron was a man who had been through a lot in his life.Though really you could say that about any man who had died and kept going as much as he had.Jecht would laugh if he could see him now. Lord Braska would probably be amused too.





	Mirror Image

It was safe to say that Auron was a man who had been through a lot in his life.

Though really you could say that about any man who had died and kept going as much as he had.

This latest event was just the newest chapter in his series of trials. Another task to earn that final rest a man like him didn’t deserve.

Jecht would laugh if he could see him now. Lord Braska would probably be amused too.

The kid who had come chasing after him had practically keeled over once they’d escaped Hades, hands on his knees as he gulped down all the air he could. One of his companions had collapsed on his back while the shortest one stood over him, squabbling something that Auron struggled to make out.

Dead, and he still got headaches, huh?

“That was close!” The boy - Sora? finally stood up. His strange sword was gone, Auron noted. No where on his person. He didn’t seem too concerned about it, and part of Auron wished he could share that emotion. He sorely missed his jug. “Hey, uh...Auron, right? You okay?”

Auron grunted, eyes scanning over the three. “I’m alright.”

It seemed to be enough, for in the next second the bird had rounded on the boy and was yelling something incomprehensible again. The third companion stood, seeming unbothered by everything that was happening.

“So,” Auron cut in over the wheezing squeal. “What are outsiders like you doing meddling in Hades’ business?”

The three froze. It was clear that whatever they had been expecting, it wasn’t that. They rounded on him with a shared look of horror before Sora, with a forceful cough, stepped forward. “Outsiders? What...what do you mean by that, huh?”

Auron raised an eyebrow. What a poor liar. Good people often were. “You hardly look like you belong here.” His companions were a runt of a chocobo and a very sick looking Ronso after all. “So? What realm did you come from to end up here?”

The trio was frozen again until, in what had to be a practiced move, they jumped into a huddle, whispering in frantic and not at all hushed voices. Auron allowed them their moment, gaze travelling to the examine the cavern they’d found safety in. It reminded him far too much of the path to the Farplane. Auron tried to ignore his crawling skin.

“Alright,” The Chocobo finally rounded on him, fists on his hips and doing what Auron was sure on anyone else would look intimidating. “What’s the big idea, huh?”

“What Donald means is-” Sora jumped in now, hands on Donald’s shoulders and pulling him back. Donald clearly didn’t enjoy this based on his scowl, but Sora paid him no mind. “How come you know about other worlds?”

Again, Auron can’t help but want to scoff at the remark. It seemed disbelief was a feeling he was going to be feeling often around these three. “You may have missed Hades’ spiel back there, but I’m dead, Sora. The realms and their limits don’t really apply to me anymore.”

They’re silent, and Auron for a minute thought that maybe they really did somehow miss Hades’ spiel. Though how they ended up in what the God had called The Underworld and didn’t expect to run into the dead was beyond him.

Finally, the Ronso laughed. “Well ya see, Mr. Auron sir, we flew here on our Gummi Ship!”

“Goofy!” Sora and Donald yelled as they rounded on the third member of their trio, but Auron just let out a small grunt.

“An Airship then? I’m impressed. Most people can’t get those running without the help of the Al Bhed.” And even then, fewer would get on the ship. Sora doesn’t look like an Al Bhed though, and the other two certainly weren’t. “Where is the rest of your crew? Still on the ship?”

“Nope. It’s mostly just us. Oh, and Jiminy.”

Auron doesn’t have to ask who Jiminy is because soon enough a tiny bug jumped up on Sora’s shoulder and...spoke. “Hello there! A quick question, how many U’s in your name, just the one?”

The other three didn’t react so Auron nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on the talking bug. “Just the one.”

Jiminy nodded and thanked him and jumped back to wherever he came from. Auron still isn’t sure it was exactly real, so he decided to just move on. “If the crew is just the three of you, how do you keep the ship running?”

“Oh, that’s easy!” The Ronso Goofy answered. “We don’t need a big crew to run this ship. That’s because it runs on smiles.”

It was such an absurd answered stated like it was fact. Auron let out a small bark of a laugh, but when he looked to the other two they made no corrections to their companion’s statement. “You can’t be serious.”

“We sure are!” Donald yelped, and once again Sora had to hold the Chocobo back. He managed better this time, even managed to step ahead of Donald and approach Auron.

“Yep! The ship runs on smiles.” Sora confirmed. His hands rested on his hips and he leaned into Auron, large grin splitting his face. “Bet someone grumpy like you couldn’t get on.”

The three started squabbling again, but Auron just stared.

_“Next, try laughing out loud!”_

_“What?”_

_“Come on, show me!”_

Laughter from a long time ago rang in Auron’s ears as he watched the three of them. Forced and ugly, it had left the group wondering if their Summoner and the boy had lost it.

Sora doesn’t look like him, but when Auron’s eyes landed on the boy, he felt like him. An arrogant and determined boy who just wanted to help everyone he could while he made his way home.

Donald yelled again, and Goofy laughed, and the others are there too. Auron was glad they’re too busy to notice his lips twitch. Wakka and Lulu always did bicker in the most amusing way.

“Hey, Auron?” He was snapped back into the present by blue eyes staring up at him. He grunted and Sora frowned. “So, if you’re in the Underworld, then you’re dead right?”

Tactful. Auron nodded all the same. “That does seem to be where the dead in this realm go.”

If Sora realized how he came across, he didn’t show it. He just tilted his head curiously. “How did you die then.”

And that...is not a subject Auron felt like reliving, no matter how much this boy seemed like Tidus. Auron just chuckled and put a finger to Sora’s forehead. He pushed and the boy stumbled back. “In my world, there are people called Guardians, who protect those tasked with an important job. I was one. And I did my job well.”

Sora blinked up at him, and it was clear on the young boy’s face that he was brimming with questions. Auron pressed on before he had a chance to ask them. “You seem like you have a hard road ahead of you. I don’t know what your quest is, but you seem the type to achieve it.” Stunned now, Sora had a look of awe that made Auron chuckle. If only Tidus had ever been that respectful. “I would happy to be your Guardian while I can.”

“Woah…” Another grin split Sora’s face and he rounded on his two friends. “Ha, you hear that! Auron’s gunna be my Guardian. He sounds so much cooler than you two!”

It was obvious Sora was teasing them, but Donald still rose to the bait with an angry squawk. Goofy didn’t though. The Ronso frowned at Auron before leaning into Donald. Auron was beginning to suspect these three had no concept of whispering, as Goofy blocked his mouth with his hand but still loudly asked “Does that mean Auron is going to die for Sora too?”

The look on Sora’s face dropped like a weight as he turned back to Auron. “What, no. It doesn’t mean that, right?”

Instead of the reassurance Sora was looking for, Auron just shrugged. “A Guardian’s job is to protect. You need a Guardian. If dying is what’s needed from me, then that is what will be done.”

“No!”

For the second time in Auron’s not life, his role was rejected. Sora frowned at him. “If that’s what being a Guardian means, then you won’t be one! What’s the point of a job that’s whole job is to die!”

Auron snorted and Sora frowned harder. He hadn’t meant to. But the boy would’ve gotten along with Tidus so well. He wondered if kids thrusted into the hands of destiny all hated the status quo.

“If that’s what being a Guardian means, then just you watch! I’ll be the strongest Keyblade wielder ever! I won’t let anyone die!”

Auron doesn’t know what a Keyblade is, but he nodded all the same. It seemed his own destiny was to be littered with confident men with something to prove. Sora looked determined before him, and Auron reached out to place a hand on his head. “I look forward to seeing it.”

Sora nodded too and then turned to Donald and Goofy. “Come on, let’s go check on Herc!”

Auron fell easily in step behind him, just like he always did. The sound of forced laughter still echoed in his ears, but another part of that day jumped to mind. At the mouth of the cavern, he stopped and allowed the other to walk ahead. He felt a little silly, but slowly he raised his hand to his mouth. Two fingers, like he remembered Tidus showing Yuna, he slid them in his mouth and blew. The whistle echoed in the cavern and Auron waited.

Somewhere in his heart, two whistles answered back. Auron smiled and followed after Sora.

**Author's Note:**

> Ever think about how Auron is the only FFX cast member in Kingdom Hearts who isn't a child or a fairy and probably the only one to remember what happens in their own game?
> 
> Pepperidge farm remembers.
> 
> You can yell at me on twitter @sid3walk


End file.
